Auto notebook: Rain forces Martinsville twin bill

Trucks sit under covers as Air Titans try to keep the track dry during a rain delay at the NASCAR Truck Series auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Saturday, March 29, 2014. (AP Photo/Steve Sheppard)(Photo: Steve Sheppard, AP)

The NASCAR Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway was rained out Saturday and will be made up as part of a rare doubleheader at the track Sunday.

The Sprint Cup race will start at 12:13 p.m., and NASCAR and track officials aim to start the nightcap as quickly as possible afterward. NASCAR said it hopes it can start about 4:30 p.m.

The tricky part will not only be cooperation from the weather — the forecast is good — but also a smooth Cup series race because Martinsville Speedway, the oldest in the premier series, does not have lights.

The doubleheader will be the first since a truck race washed out after 17 laps at Pocono in August 2011 was completed the next day, with the Cup race after it.

Darrell Wallace, who gained his only truck victory at Martinsville in October, will start on the pole based on combined practice times from Friday.

Sato wins Indy pole: Takuma Sato won the pole at St. Petersburg, Fla., for Sunday’s season-opening IndyCar Series race.

Sato circled the street course in 1 minute, 0.01 seconds in Saturday’s rain-delayed qualifying session to put his A.J. Foyt Racing entry out front. It was a stellar debut for Honda and its new twin turbo engine.